Background
Stebbins was born in New York City to a wealthy family who encouraged by her pursuit of art from an early age.
Stebbins was born in New York City to a wealthy family who encouraged by her pursuit of art from an early age.
She studied under John Gibson an English neoclassicist working there at that time.
She is best known for her work “The Angel of the Waters” (1873), also known as “Bethesda Fountain,” located on the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park, New New York In Rome, she was able to become involved in the bohemian and feminist lesbian lifestyle, which was far less acceptable in New New York Stebbins fell in love with actress Charlotte Cushman.
Cushman was confident, strong, and charismatic, and recently recovering from a break up following a ten-year relationship with the actress Matilda Hays.
Cushman and Stebbins began traveling together, immediately taking a trip to Naples. Upon their return, they began spending time in a circle that included African American/Native American sculptor Edmonia Lewis and other lesbians, such as Harriet Hosmer.
In 1869, Cushman was treated for breast cancer. Stebbins devoted all her time to nursing Cushman, ignoring her work during the next two years.
The following year, the couple returned to the United States.
Cushman died of pneumonia in 1876 at the age of 59. Following the death of Cushman, Stebbins never produced another sculpture. She spent her final years producing the correspondence, Charlotte Cushman: Her Letters and Memories of Her Life in 1878.
Stebbins died in New York in 1882, at the age of 67.
The unpublished biography is entitled "Notes on the Art Life of Emma Stebbins" (1888). In the scrapbook, Garland arranged images of Stebbins" works created between 1857 and 1870 in chronological order, noting the titles and dates of execution of each work.
She included photographs of Stebbins and of people who had encouraged her career (such as her teacher Paul Akers, Henry Stebbins, and Charlotte Cushman), newspaper clippings and handwritten biographical notes. On June 14, 2014, Stebbins was featured in the first gay-themed tour of Green-Wood Cemetery.
Because the headstone of Mission Stebbins is made of marble it has become severely worn away by the weather, making it difficult to read her name, dates, et cetera, Walk About New York, developer of the Gay Graves Tour, would like to start a campaign to replace lieutenant